# 1955 in Wales

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1955 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dyfnallt

## Events

* 17 March – In the Wrexham by-election, brought about by the death of Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) Robert Richards, who had held the seat since 1935, James Idwal Jones holds the seat for Labour with a majority of nearly 11,000 votes.
* 18 April–28 May – Charles Evans leads the mountaineering expedition that conquers Kanchenjunga.
* 6 August – The Usk Reservoir is completed, contributing to Swansea's water supply.
* 31 October – The A48 road bridges over the River Neath at Briton Ferry (six years in the building) are officially opened by the Minister of Transport.
* 3 December – The Farmers' Union of Wales breaks away from the National Farmers Union.
* 20 December – Cardiff becomes the official capital of Wales.

## Arts and literature

* The Gold Medal for Architecture is introduced to the National Eisteddfod.
* Bertrand Russell retires to Plas Penrhyn, Penrhyndeudraeth.
* The Guild for the Promotion of Welsh Music is founded.

### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Pwllheli)
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Gwilym Ceri Jones, "Gwrtheyrn"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – W. J. Gruffydd, "Ffenestri"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – M. Selyf Roberts, Deg o'r Diwedd
* Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Award for Hear and Forgive.

### New books
#### English language

* Kingsley Amis – That Uncertain Feeling
* (Edwin) Stuart Evans – Elegy for the Death of a Clown (poem)
* Elisabeth Inglis-Jones – The Story of Wales
* T. E. Lawrence – The Mint (posthumously published)
* Dylan Thomas – A Child's Christmas in Wales (posthumously published)
* R. S. Thomas – Song at the Year's Turning (poems)
* Richard Vaughan – Son of Justin

#### Welsh language

* Gwilym Thomas Hughes – Ei Seren tan Gwmwl
* Robert Lloyd – Y Pethe
* Louie Myfanwy Thomas writing as Jane Ann Jones – Plant y Foty

### New drama

* Saunders Lewis – Siwan

### Music

* Grace Williams – Penillion

## Film

* Stanley Baker plays Richmond in Laurence Olivier's film of Richard III.
* The Constant Husband, starring Rex Harrison, with opening scenes filmed on location at New Quay and Aberaeron in 1954, includes some Welsh dialogue.

## Broadcasting

* The Welsh Home Service becomes available on VHF from Wenvoe

### Welsh-language television

* January – First televised Welsh-language play, Cap Wil Tomos

### English-language television
## Sport

* Cricket – Wilf Wooller becomes an England Test selector.
* Rugby Union
** 22 January – Ken Jones becomes Wales's most capped player (36) in a game against England.
** 12 March – Wales beat Ireland 21–3 at the National Stadium, Cardiff.
** 26 March – Wales win the Five Nations Championship for the fourth time this decade.
* BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – John Disley

## Births

* 22 January – Clive Griffiths, footballer (died 2022)
* 30 January – Ian Edwards, footballer
* 23 February – Howard Jones, English-born musician of Welsh parentage
* 4 March – Joey Jones, footballer
* 17 March – John David Lewis, political scientist and historian
* 2 May – Peter Sayer, footballer
* 17 May – Nicola Heywood-Thomas, broadcaster and journalist (died 2023)
* 22 May – Maggie Jones, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, politician
* 9 June – Alun Pugh, politician
* 21 June (in Sunderland) – Janet Ryder, politician
* 22 June – Green Gartside (Paul Julian Strohmeyer), musician
* 2 August – Alun Davies, biologist
* 3 August – Gordon Davies, footballer
* 4 August – Steve Jones, marathon runner
* 3 September – Eirian Williams, snooker referee
* 29 September – Gareth Davies, rugby player
* 12 October – Brian Flynn, footballer and manager
* 17 November – Amanda Levete, architect
* 7 December – Mihangel Morgan, author and academic
* date unknown
** Aled Gruffydd Jones, social historian, Librarian of National Library of Wales
** Martyn Jones, painter

## Deaths

* 5 January – Douglas Marsden-Jones, Wales and British Lions rugby player, 61
* 25 January – Robert Dewi Williams, teacher, clergyman and author, 84
* 26 January – Gwilym Davies, Baptist minister, 75
* 29 January – Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, politician, 89
* 19 March – Tom Evans, Wales international rugby player, 72
* 2 April – Billy O'Neill, Welsh international rugby player, 76
* 27 April – Ambrose Bebb, author, 60
* 19 May – Percy Bush, Wales international rugby union player, 75
* 21 June – Eric Evans, rugby union player and administrator, 61
* 13 July – Ruth Ellis, murderer, 28 (hanged)
* 28 August – Sir Lewis Lougher, businessman and politician, 83
* 28 September – Lionel Rees, airman, Victoria Cross recipient, 71
* 14 October – Harry Parr Davies, songwriter, 41
* 15 October – Thomas Jones (T. J.), founder of Coleg Harlech, 85
* 30 October – Bert Dauncey, Wales international rugby player, 83
* 1 November – Ronw Moelwyn Hughes, politician, 58
* 15 December – V. E. Nash-Williams, archaeologist, 58
* date unknown – Melbourne Johns, munitions worker and wartime secret agent, 55